New Texas A&M Aggies Head Coach Mike Elko Vows To 'Build Premier Program'

Mike Elko plans on turning Texas A&M into a championship-caliber program during his span in College Station.

COLLEGE STATION -- Mike Elko is done hearing about Texas A&M as a program that could compete for national titles and intends to end those conversations during his stay as the 30th head coach in program history.

"We are going to build the premier football program in the country," Elko said to a crowd of fans and distinguished alumni Monday afternoon inside the hall of Kyle Field's Ford Hall of Champions. "We are not going to talk about it anymore. We are going to be about it."

Elko, 46, understands what it takes to win in College Station since he's been here before. His arrival in Aggieland early Monday morning was more of a "welcome home" than a "welcome here" feel.

Elko spent four seasons under Jimbo Fisher as A&M's defensive coordinator from 2018-2021 before being offered his first head coaching job at Duke. The Aggies dominated under his watch, posting a 34-14 record, including a 9-1 season in 2020.

His defenses were built to win conference titles and compete for national championships. In 2020, the Aggies ranked No. 2 nationally in run defense and top 20 in countless other categories. A year later, A&M ranked third nationally in scoring, holding opponents to under 16 points per contest.

Similar results occurred at Duke, where he posted a 16-9 record in two seasons. The Blue Devils were 3-9 in the final year of the David Cutcliffe era and ranked 127th in scoring defense. A year later, Elko led the program to its first nine-win season since 2014 while turning the same defense into the nation's 31st-ranked scoring unit.

"The guy can flat-out coach," said A&M interim president Gen. Mark A. Welsh III. "He proved it to everyone in the country as a head coach for the last two years at Duke."

Unlike Fisher, who was fired after going 11-11 in his final two seasons, Elko's lucrative payday will be earned by hitting certain marks. Elko agreed to terms on a six-year contract worth $7 million annually but with several College Football Playoff incentives. A national championship will earn him an extra $3.5 million, while a berth to the title game nets him $2.5 million. He’ll receive $2 million extra if the Aggies play in the CFP semifinals, $1.5 million if they play in the CFP quarterfinals and/or win an SEC title, and $1 million if they make the 12-team playoff beginning in 2024.

The incentives don't add up with each completion of a task, but a year is extended to his contract if one of the incentives hits. For instance, if A&M were to make it to the CFP semifinals, Elko's contract would extend to 2031 and he'd earn $9 million for the season.

"We wanted to be fair in the market," Texas A&M athletic director Ross Bjork said. "But we also wanted to say, hey, look, I think the landscape can change where you actually have to earn things. If somebody believes in themselves, believes in their plan, they have the right approach, they'll earn it."

Duke Blue Devils head coach Mike Elko runs out just before the game against Notre Dame Fighting Irish at Wallace Wade Stadium / Mandatory Credit: Jaylynn Nash-USA TODAY Sports

Bjork's language came with a learning lesson from Fisher. Hired away from Florida State in 2017, Fisher received a fully guaranteed extension in 2021, raising his salary from $7.5 million to $9 million through 2031. A&M still owes Fisher the full $77 million as part of his buyout clause through the end of his contract.

"We know there has to be a base salary, and the rest is built off of making your way through the CFP," Bjork said.

Elko faces a three-pronged task to begin his coaching tenure in College Station. First comes building a staff to set the tone in the SEC. Then comes re-recruiting players to stick around once the transfer portal opens on Dec. 4. The final stage comes with securing as many recruits as possible to remain a part of the class for the Early Signing Period that comes to a close next month.

The good news? Elko has somewhat of a head start, given his background on the recruiting trail in years past. It also helps that Elko has made it a "priority" to keep interim coach Elijah Robinson on his new staff.

"There's not many times when you go into the first team meeting and 50 of the players come up and give you a big hug and welcome you back," Elko said. "But then I think when you get up in front of them, all of that has to go away, because it's about new leadership."

Elko is the first defensive-minded coach hired by A&M since R.C. Slocum was promoted internally in 1989. Slocum, the program's all-time winningest coach, was also the last coach to win a conference title back in 1998.

Fans know what Elko can do on defense, but attention turns to the offensive side of the ball. Programs like Alabama and Georgia are led by coaches with a defensive background, but Elko knows their success also comes from an offensive identity.

"I do think there's a blue-collar toughness that comes from having a great defense that stands the test of time," said Elko. "But if you can't score points, you won't win games enough to be where we want to be."

Texas A&M Hiring of Mike Elko Was Always The Right Move

The work begins now for Elko and the Aggies, who intend to be ready to compete when Notre Dame arrives at Kyle Field for the season opener on Aug. 31, 2024. He said he knows a program like A&M has "unfulfilled potential" that's kept it from winning anything prominent in nearly three decades.

With his plan, Elko believes the ingredients are there to reach the end goal.

"We will adapt to the modern era of college football and all that that means. We will be innovative in our thinking," said Elko. "Like all great organizations, we will lay out a clear blueprint for success, but we will adapt and adjust along the way where necessary to perform this program to great heights.

I'm ready for everything that this program should be about. I'm ready to take this program everywhere where it wants to go. I cannot wait to roll up my sleeves and go to work."